8 toys your kids (or you) will soon want

Mattel
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may be facing its share of challenges, but the rest of the toy industry is finding ways to innovate. In some cases, that means building on existing trends (think anything Lego or princess-related). In other cases, that means going retro (vintage board games, anyone?). Here are eight examples of toys that are gaining a following in today’s marketplace.

Puppet on a Stick

Toys targeted for infants and preschoolers have been one of the industry’s brighter spots. And anything monster or creature-related has been hot, too. Both trends come together in the newly introduced dinosaur-themed Puppets on a Stick from Educational Insights, a California-based toy company. True to their billing, these are plastic, stick-based puppets ($30 for a set of three)—with names like Buster, Crusher and Stomper—that are very easy to manipulate (basically, you open the creature’s mouth by sliding a lever). Which means they work especially well for the preschool crowd (they’ve got a wipe-clean surface, too). But the puppets’ simple and goofy appeal is such that an older crowd is starting to buy them, says Educational Insights vice president Nancy Balter: “College students love them. I don’t know how to explain it.”

(This story was updated on Jan. 26, 2015.)

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BrickStix

Building sets are a booming toy category. And the success of the new “Lego Movie” should help further the trend. All this spells good news for BrickStix, a Wisconsin-based company that has found a unique niche in manufacturing and marketing reusable stickers that go on Legos and other brands of building blocks. The product is the brainchild of Greyson MacLean, a Lego fanatic. MacLean was bothered by the fact that the stickers included in most sets could be applied only once—and if they were removed, they left a sticky residue. Hence, the BrickStix tagline: “No ick on your bricks.” The company says it’s sold some 200,000-plus units of the stickers (which are offered in sets for $5.99) since the product’s introduction four years ago.

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Puzzle vases

Jigsaw puzzles have gone 3-D in recent years. And now, University Games, a San Francisco-based toy maker, has taken them in a 3D-gone-practical direction. In the past year, the company unveiled a line of 160-piece puzzles that, when completed, are actual vases (the pieces are plastic and there’s a tube that holds the water—hence, no mess). “They are as functional as they are beautiful,” says company spokesman Nathan Kuenster. University Games expects the line (priced at $25 per puzzle) to do well based on interest in its other 3-D jigsaw puzzles (designs range from an apple to Mickey Mouse), which are collectively selling in the 500,000-plus units range.

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Touring England and other retro games

How about a game of Tiddle Tower? Or Touring England? These are favorites from 1930s England that have been packaged anew—albeit with an old-timey look—by California toy maker Perisphere & Trylon. The company is banking on two trends—interest in nostalgic and back-to-basics games and toys (think wooden train sets) and interest in anything vintage England (think “Downton Abbey”). So far, the formula is working for Perisphere & Trylon: The company sells 10,000 Touring England games (priced around $20) every year. The market is mainly adults, says owner Dodd Harris. “We’ve even heard stories of our vintage games being used for drinking games.”

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High Roller

Speaking of going retro, what could be more nostalgic than the classic Big Wheel? But for baby boomers who want to continue the ride—literally—there’s just one problem: Big Wheels aren’t designed for grown-ups. Enter the High Roller – essentially, the Big Wheel writ large. Made by a Colorado company, the Roller ($599) can seat an adult who weighs up to 300 lbs. and is as tall as 6’6”. Creator Matt Ambruster says he was tired of asking the question, “Where can I get a Big Wheel that fits me?” so he just invented his own (having a background in aerospace engineering didn’t hurt, either). He’s sold a few hundred to date, but he has much bigger aspirations—eventually, he’d like to start a High Roller rally.

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Dreamy Dress-Ups

Princesses, particularly of the Disney variety, have been a major trend in girl toys and clothing. But now, New Hampshire-based Douglas Toys is betting that fairies are the next big thing. The company has launched a line of Dreamy Dress-Ups—essentially, fairy costumes (around $70), replete with fabric “wings.” In its first year alone, the line became a seven-figure business, the company reports. But boys can “fly,” too: The company has dragon and bat-themed costumes as part of the newly expanded line.

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Marshmallow Bow & Mallow

The “Hunger Games” franchise has helped propel interest in all things archery. And the Dallas-based Marshmallow Fun Company, the toy maker behind those still-popular marshmallow “shooters” (edible ammo, in other words), hasn’t let the trend go unnoticed. Enter the “bow and mallow” (starting at around $15), which, true to its name, fires marshmallows instead of arrows. The company is hoping the new bow shooters—there are mini bows in the line, too—will further boost its success: To date, Marshmallow Fun has sold 5 million marshmallow shooters, from “blasters” to “mazookas.”

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The Gund Grumpy Cat

With three million Facebook “likes,” Grumpy Cat is more than just a meme: She’s an industry. Companies are cutting all sorts of licensing deals with Grumpy’s owner, former Red Lobster waitress Tabatha Bundesen. And New Jersey-based Gund, a prominent name in “plush” (what the toy industry calls stuffed animals), is one of those brands. Gund claims its Grumpy ($22) is as soft and cuddly as it is, well, grumpy.

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